News
Funding opens for Welsh Marine and Fisheries Scheme with up to £1.85m available
UP TO £1.85 million in funding is now available to support Wales’ marine, fisheries and aquaculture sectors through the Welsh Marine and Fisheries Scheme, the Welsh Government has announced.
The scheme is designed to promote sustainable growth across the fisheries and aquaculture industry while helping coastal communities to prosper. The application window opens today (Wednesday, January 7) and will remain open for 12 weeks, closing on March 31.
A wide range of projects can be supported under 11 separate funding categories. Eligible activities include improving aquaculture sites, investing in equipment on vessels to reduce emissions and increase energy efficiency, and securing professional advice on issues such as environmental sustainability, business development and marketing.
Applicants may also seek funding for optional health and safety equipment on board vessels or at land-based sites.

In the previous funding round, grants were awarded for harbour infrastructure improvements, marine research projects, fishers’ health and wellbeing initiatives, and new processing equipment. Smaller items such as ice machines, ice flakers, weighing scales and cool boxes were also funded.
Deputy First Minister with responsibility for Climate Change and Rural Affairs, Huw Irranca-Davies, said the sector played a vital role in Wales’ economy and future food security.
“Our aquaculture, marine and fisheries sector brings many important benefits,” he said. “It provides a low carbon, high-quality protein food source, supports future food security, and delivers high-skilled jobs.
“This scheme is designed to create opportunities within the marine environment, coastal communities and sustainable seafood across the whole supply chain, from production to processing and marketing.
“I would encourage those with an interest to make use of the funding to pursue growth, diversification and innovation.”
Jim Evans MBE, of the Welsh Fishermen’s Association, said the scheme had already proved transformative.
“In the previous round, fishermen and women in Wales were able to access funding with free end-to-end guidance and support provided by the Wales Animateur Pilot,” he said. “The fund has been transformative for individual fishermen, women and seafood businesses throughout Wales.
“There is already significant interest in future rounds, including vessel improvements, non-mandatory safety equipment, adding value, energy efficiencies and health, safety and wellbeing initiatives. I would encourage all fishing, aquaculture and seafood businesses in Wales to contact the Animateurs for support with project and business ideas.”
Applicants must be registered with Rural Payments Wales (RPW) Online, where application and claims processes are managed.
Free, independent support is available through the Welsh Fisheries Animateur Pilot, funded by the Welsh Government in collaboration with the Welsh Fishermen’s Association. Applicants can contact the Fisheries Animateur on 01736 362782, by text on 07864 087119, or by email at [email protected].
Entertainment
The Space Between: where land meets sea, water meets rock
A new exhibition by David and Cassia GomersallSaturday 17 January – Saturday 14 February 2026
THE WATERFRONT GALLERY at Discovery Quay opens the New Year with The Space Between, a compelling joint exhibition by father-and-daughter artists David and Cassia Gomersall.

The exhibition launches on Saturday 17 January, with a public preview from 2:00pm–4:00pm. It will then run Wednesday to Saturday, 10:30am–4:00pm, until Saturday 14 February.
Since 2005, David Gomersall’s artistic practice has been shaped by the bays and headlands of the Marloes peninsula, including Marloes Sands, Albion, Musselwick and St Brides. His work begins with rapid sketches responding to the visual drama of water colliding with rock. Away from the shoreline, these impressions evolve into abstract explorations in wood, stone, paint and dye—works that carry the memory of water moving around, over and through solid form. Though developed intuitively, each piece retains a strong echo of its coastal origin and a sense of the familiar.

The relentless motion of the sea—eroding softer material, opening fissures and caverns, and reshaping shattered stone—is mirrored in David’s processes. The carving and sanding of wood and stone, the rhythm of pencil marks, and the flow of batik wax all echo the sea’s constant, shaping force.
David studied three-dimensional design before completing an MA in Environmental and Architectural Design at the Royal College of Art. After working for architectural practices in London, he established his own studio in 1991. Since 1995, his projects have focused mainly in Pembrokeshire and Shropshire/Powys. His architectural work—and the many concept paintings produced over three decades for the late Zaha Hadid—centres on spatial relationships, movement and flow.

Cassia Gomersall is predominantly a textile-based artist, known for upcycled clothing and artworks created through fabric manipulation, silk-screen printing and natural dyeing. Her practice frequently incorporates recycled, scavenged or foraged materials. Rusted objects found along Pembrokeshire’s coastline are used to produce richly textured, rust-dyed pieces that echo sea spray and saltwater corrosion. Her ink works are largely abstract, capturing moments where sea meets cliff and water meets mountain.
Together, David and Cassia Gomersall present a thoughtful, tactile dialogue between nature and material—exploring erosion, movement and transformation in works shaped as much by place as by process.
News
Prince Andrew property sale raises fresh questions after BBC corruption probe
A BBC investigation has raised serious questions about whether Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor may have inadvertently benefited from money linked to corruption following the sale of his former Berkshire home, Sunninghill Park.
The broadcaster reports that millions of pounds paid to the then prince in 2007 came from funds connected to a company later implicated by Italian prosecutors in a major bribery scheme involving Kazakhstan’s oil and gas sector.
Sunninghill Park, a 12-bedroom mansion near Ascot, was sold by Andrew for £15m to Kazakh billionaire Timur Kulibayev, who at the time was one of the most powerful figures in Kazakhstan’s energy industry and the son-in-law of the country’s then president, Nursultan Nazarbayev.
Funds linked to bribery probe
According to the BBC, Kulibayev used a loan from a company called Enviro Pacific Investments to help fund the purchase. Italian prosecutors later concluded that Enviro Pacific had received cash originating from a bribery scheme dating back to 2007.
Court documents seen by the BBC show that prosecutors believed payments of an “allegedly corrupt nature” flowed from another firm, Aventall, into Enviro Pacific shortly before contracts were exchanged on Sunninghill Park.
While no charges were brought against Kulibayev in Italy, and proceedings were ultimately dismissed, prosecutors concluded that the money trail raised serious concerns. The BBC says the final payment into Enviro Pacific was made less than two months before the sale contracts were signed.
Kulibayev’s lawyers told the BBC that their client has never engaged in bribery or corruption, that the funds used to buy Sunninghill Park were entirely legitimate, and that the loan from Enviro Pacific was taken on commercial terms and later repaid with interest.
“Blatant red flags”
Money laundering experts interviewed by the BBC said the transaction displayed multiple warning signs that should have prompted enhanced checks.
Tom Keatinge, director of the Centre for Finance and Security, said the deal contained “blatant red flags” and should have triggered detailed scrutiny to ensure it was not “helping to launder the proceeds of corruption”.
Among the issues highlighted were:
- The buyer’s status as a politically exposed person
- His close family ties to Kazakhstan’s autocratic leadership
- The use of offshore companies and complex loan arrangements
- The lack of transparency over the buyer’s identity
- The price paid, which was reportedly £3m above the asking price and around £7m above market value
At the time of the sale, the UK government was already raising concerns about “systematic corruption” in Kazakhstan. Despite this, the identity of the buyer was not publicly disclosed, and Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the transaction.
Official role at the time
When the sale took place, Andrew was serving as a UK trade envoy and was fourth in line to the throne. In the same month the transaction was completed, taxpayers funded a £57,000 chartered flight for him to visit Kazakhstan on official business.
There is no evidence that the former prince knew the source of the funds used to buy Sunninghill Park. However, critics argue that the circumstances raise serious questions about whether appropriate due diligence was carried out by advisers involved in the deal.
Margaret Hodge, the government’s former anti-corruption champion, said she was “utterly shocked” by the BBC’s findings and called for the matter to be properly investigated.
“Nobody is above the law,” she said, adding that Parliament and relevant national agencies should examine whether proceeds of crime may have been involved.
Property later demolished
Sunninghill Park was originally given to Andrew by the Queen as a wedding gift in 1986. After remaining empty for several years following its sale, the mansion was demolished in 2016. A new, larger property was built on the site but has reportedly never been occupied.
Andrew did not respond to the BBC’s requests for comment. In a 2009 interview with the Daily Telegraph, he previously defended the sale, saying: “It’s not my business, the second the price is paid. If that is the offer, I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth.”
The Royal Family’s solicitors also declined to comment, citing client confidentiality.
The BBC investigation adds to ongoing scrutiny of historic high-value UK property transactions involving offshore structures and politically exposed individuals, and is likely to fuel further calls for tighter oversight and transparency.
News
Petition launched after second Pembrokeshire blood biker dies in line of duty
A PETITION calling for blood bikers to be allowed to use green emergency lights has been launched following the death of a second Pembrokeshire volunteer rider within six months.
Volunteer blood biker Andrew Rogers, aged 61, from Hayscastle, died following a collision on the A48 on Monday (Dec 29) while carrying out his duties.

Mr Rogers was volunteering at the time of the incident. In a tribute, his family described him as “well known, loved, respected and extremely knowledgeable”.
They said he was deeply passionate about his role as a blood biker, as well as his work helping others through volunteering and as a street pastor.
His death comes just six months after another Pembrokeshire blood biker was killed while on duty.
On Tuesday (July 2, 2025), Timothy Minett, known as Tim, aged 78, died following a crash on the A478 between Glandy Cross and Blaenffos while riding for Blood Bikes Wales.
In October, more than one hundred blood bikers from across the UK took part in a memorial ride to honour Mr Minett.
Lesley Isaacs-Penny, vice-chair of Blood Bikes Wales, said: “It was very touching. Tim’s family were there — they couldn’t believe how many people had come and were really grateful.”
Blood Bikes Wales is one of thirty-six volunteer-run blood bike groups across the UK, providing a free, life-saving service to the NHS by transporting blood, organs, medication, and other urgent medical supplies.
Following the latest tragedy, fellow blood biker Louise Lunt has launched a petition on Change.org calling for blood bikers to be permitted to use green emergency headlights to improve visibility during emergency runs.
She said: “As a dedicated blood biker, I have witnessed first-hand the challenges we face on the roads while performing our voluntary duties.
“Recently, a fellow blood biker tragically lost their life on duty, marking the second such incident in just a few months. Before these incidents, another blood biker sadly died on shift in Lancashire.”
Ms Lunt said the visibility of blood bikers — who often operate at night and out of hours — is “alarmingly limited”, despite the critical nature of their work.
She is campaigning for green lights to be legally permitted on blood bikes, similar to the blue lights used by emergency services.
“Much like ambulances and police vehicles, green lights would significantly improve our visibility and alert other road users to our role,” she said.
She added that road safety studies suggest high-visibility lighting can reduce accident risk by up to sixty per cent.
“Allowing green lights could help prevent further tragic incidents,” she said. “We urge decision-makers to recognise the vital role blood bikers play and support this small but potentially life-saving change.”
The petition has already attracted more than 1,000 signatures. Those wishing to support the campaign can find it on Change.org by searching Grant permission for blood bikers to use green lights.
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